PhD Defence Angelien Steen

On 23 May, Angelien Steen will defend her thesis Meaning in life in personality disorder. Studies in the context of clinical psychotherapy.

Supervisors/co-supervisors: Prof. Arjan W. Braam, PhD, Em. Prof. Gerrit Glas, PhD (VU University Amsterdam) - second supervisor, Dr Carmen Schuhmann (UvH) - co-supervisor, Dr Han Berghuis (NPI Arkin) - co-supervisor

Summary

The dissertation consists of an introduction, six empirical articles (two qualitative, three quantitative and one mixed methods) and a concluding chapter. The central question is how personality characteristics in patients with a personality disorder relate to the search for meaning, particularly during the course of (day) clinical psychotherapeutic treatment lasting 9 to 12 months. 

The search for meaning was operationalised in various ways. In addition, the qualitative studies specifically looked at (rewritten) life stories (as part of the psychotherapy). The following topics were addressed: narrative identity, orientation in the moral space, self-direction, self-transcendence, religious and spiritual philosophies of life, depressive symptoms, and the important role of connectedness in relation to the search for meaning. 

The results point to a close interconnection and dynamic between personality functions and dimensions of meaning. This leads to a ‘double tripartite model’ of meaning in which the three most important personality functions – identity, self-direction and relatedness – are conditional or facilitating for the three dimensions of meaning in the so-called tripartite model, consisting of, respectively, coherence/comprehensibility, purposefulness and meaning in life. The subjective experience of meaning as a result of this is formed in a moral space. This research thus contributes to the theory and treatment practice with regard to the search for meaning in the course of (day) clinical psychotherapy.